▷ France Facts: 68 Facts about France ←FACTSlides→

During WW2, when Hitler visited Paris, the French cut the lift cables on the Eiffel Tower so that Hitler would have to climb the steps if he wanted to reach the top.

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There's a Coffee Shop in France where not saying "hello" and "please" makes your coffee more expensive.

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The Mosque of Paris helped Jews escape the Nazis by giving them Muslim IDs during WW2.

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There is a town in France called Condom.

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France was the first country to introduce the license plate.

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Potatoes were illegal in France between 1748 and 1772.

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In France, it's illegal to name a pig "Napoleon".

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In France, nearly 96% of high schools have condom vending machines.

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The oldest bridge in Paris, France, is the Pont Neuf, or "New Bridge."

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King John I of France was proclaimed king five months before he was born. He only lived for five days.

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France uses 12 different time zones, the most of any country in the world.

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From 1814 to 1830, the flag of the Kingdom of France was plain white.

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For 214 years until 2012, it was illegal in Paris, France, for women to wear trousers.

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Beauty pageants for children are banned in France. They are punishable with up to 2 years in prison and a €30,000 fine.

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There are more people speaking French in Africa than in France.

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There's a small town in France called "La-mort-aux-Juifs," meaning "Death to Jews."

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You can use Skype to call toll free numbers at no charge in the U.S., UK, Taiwan and France.

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Paris taxi drivers have to pay nearly 200,000 euros for their licenses. That's why there are so few.

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Anyone who wishes to open a new store in France of more than 300 m2 must first gain permission from a government commission that includes other existing retailers.

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All champagne is produced in the Champagne region in France. Otherwise it is called sparkling wine.

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The average person in France sleeps 8.83 hours per day, the most in the developed world.

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The official city motto of Paris is "Fluctuat nec mergitur", meaning "She is tossed by the waves but does not sink."

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A member of the French Foreign Legion wounded while defending France can immediately apply for French citizenship as he is "French by spilled blood"

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Of all the countries that celebrate an independence day, 58 are independent of the UK, 26 of France, 21 of Russia and 21 of Spain.

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The Gallic rooster is the national animal of France.

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The Louvre was built in 1190 as a defense against Viking raids.

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Louis XIV of France had a coat with 123 diamond buttons on it.

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France has no official racial statistics, due to being an "ideally colorblind republicanism."

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, not France.

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King of the French Louis Phillippe survived 7 assassination attempts.

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Spanish and Brazilian women only spend about an hour and a half a week on housework, while French women spend almost no time on it.

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In France, Germany, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands they serve beer in McDonald's.

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The first Cannes Film Festival was called off after the screening of just one film due to the outbreak of WW2.

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The Battle of Waterloo didn't take place in the village of Waterloo but in the nearby villages of Braine l'Alleud and Plancenoit.

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In order to combat obesity, France banned free refills at fast food restaurants in 2015.

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In Spain, Belgium, Portugal and France everyone is automatically an organ donor, unless they refuse beforehand.

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The French military actually has the best military record in Europe. Out of 168 battles fought since 387BC, they have won 109, lost 49 and drawn 10.

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Paris, France, was the first western capital to have a mayor of African descent in 1879.

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Napoleon named the Louvre after himself during his reign of France and housed his plunder of Europe.

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In 1795, Napoleon offered a 12,000-franc prize to anyone who could invent a way to preserve food and make it portable. A Parisian confectioner spent 15 years experimenting and won the prize.

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Louis X of France died after a particularly exhausting game of tennis. He drank a large quantity of cooled wine and subsequently died of either pneumonia or pleurisy.

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France opened in 2016 what it claims to be the world's first solar panel road, in a Normandy village.

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France became the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food in 2016, forcing them instead to donate it.

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Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French island just 25 km off the coast of Canada. 6000 French citizens live there.

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At age 39, Emmanuel Macron became the youngest President in French history and the youngest head of state since Napoleon III.

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Haiti was demanded compensation from France

shortly after gaining independence for its loss of men and slave colony.

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The first violence of the French Revolution took place at a luxury wallpaper factory.

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Way before the Web, France had Minitel since 1978, an online service that gave its users access to online shopping, search engines, porn and message boards. It reached 25 million users in the 90s, connecting to more than 23,000 services.

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There are six villages in France called Silly, 12 called Billy and two called Prat.

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Underneath the avenues and boulevards of southern Paris, France, there are ossuaries holding the remains of more than six million people.

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Notre Dame, one of Paris' oldest edifices, was almost demolished in the 19th century and was only saved by Victor Hugo, who planted it back in the public's hearts and consciousness through his novel.

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Anyone over 14 can drive a VSP car in France without a licence.

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France paid the highest taxes in Europe in 2016, with a real tax rate of 57.53%.

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The Japanese embassy in France has a 24-hour helpline for their citizens who didn't find Paris as expected.

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In France, it is illegal to to publish photographs of handcuffed suspects, as they are not to appear guilty until proven so.

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A 2018 law in France allows citizens to make mistakes in good faith on documents without being punished.

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France still does not recognise North Korea, along with Japan and South Korea.

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France Facts 68 Facts about France

France Facts
68 Facts about France